DesotoExplorer.com

So you're not really sure what to expect from this year's De Soto girls basketball team.

That guard, the hard-nosed point guard, she graduated. So has the tall one, the center who scored so much. After that -- well, you're not sure.

Don't worry. You're not alone.

"The last time I knew this little about my team would have been my first year coming in (to De Soto) and I probably knew more about them just having coached (at Basehor,)" Wildcat coach Dwight Spencer said on the eve of the 2007-08 girls basketball season. "Several of our girls haven't played varsity, junior varsity or freshmen."

The long reign of Kira Gonzalez -- the hard-nosed guard -- and Jackie Goleman -- the tall one -- came to an end last season. The Cats' lost the vast majority of their players to have started any of last year's games, and in the wake of those graduations and transfers is a blank slate.

"I'm excited and scared," Spencer said. "I truly believe in our talent, but without having seen them against varsity competition I don't know how they're going to react."

The Cats don't return much in the way of familiar faces, but what they do welcome back will have to become the team's backbone.

That's an effort that clearly will start with sophomores Kelsey Fisher and Tami Crow.

Fisher and Crow burst onto the scene last year and provide stable yet inexperienced support for De Soto's main scorers.

Fisher is the team's top returning scorer having averaged 2.9 points per game, good for fifth on the team. Crow was right behind her at 2.2 per game.

Both could share time at any of the three perimeter positions, though neither will be asked to play exactly the same role.

"We've got to have Kelsey be the person that will take the ball and calm things down," Spencer said. "Our other ball handlers are young and she's physically stronger, so we need her for that.

"Then Tami, she's in the right spot, shoots the ball well and handles it well. She just does a lot of things for us."

Crow shot for a higher percentage a year ago, but both finished with eight 3-pointers and both should be threats again this year. That can't be the extent of the offensive contribution.

"We need to not just rely on the 3-pointer. Some of the things we're going to try and do will require cutting to the basket," Spencer said. "They can. We've worked on some things to make our overall game better."

Elsewhere it will be new faces, or at least old ones in dramatically larger roles.

Senior Danielle Price is out again after playing in 10 games a year ago, and her classmate, Amber Laudick is in line for a much more important season as well.

"We need her to step up," Spencer said of Laudick. "She really had a great summer and has made herself a huge part of the team this year. She did not miss a day in the gym. She was there every day -- every day."

Sophomore Katie Williams also will have an opportunity for a larger role. Williams played in 13 games as a freshman and scored 15 points. She had 13 of those in the season's first game and must use her height -- she's one of the team's tallest at 5-foot-9 -- to stake a claim in the post.

"She looks really good she's worked really hard," Spencer said. "She's important because of her size and she's worked really hard to improve her individual game. Her post moves offensively, she's gotten a lot quicker, more aggressive and confident.

"Defensively she's getting her girl front a lot instead of being willing to play behind."

The biggest new addition to the team might be junior Barbara Hartz.

Hartz joins the team as an exchange student from Germany. She's another of the tallest Wildcats and could be a huge help for a team that graduated all of its experienced forwards. Her biggest contributions might come elsewhere, too.

"So far I've been really pleased with what I've seen," Spencer said. "She's tall, she's quick and she handles the ball a lot better than I would have anticipated for a 5-11 girl coming in.

"If we had a taller team -- a lot of kids around 5-10 or 5-11 -- we'd put her out to play guard."

The girls basketball team opens its season Nov. 29 against Hays in the first round of the Hays City Shoot-out.